In 1870, West Newton was a thriving town on the Minnesota River, with a hotel, livery stable, brewery, sawmill, wagon works, two blacksmith shops, three saloons, and many dwellings that made it an important shipping center. At the heart of the town stood the Harkin Store, a general store and post office operated by Alexander and Janet Harkin, Scottish natives who had settled in the area in 1856. Their store served as the community's social center, where farmers and townsfolk bought groceries, bartered for supplies, and exchanged news. Alexander, also a successful farmer and grain shipper, became such a respected leader that a local newspaper called West Newton "Harkinville." The store prospered while the town prospered, but in 1873 the railroad bypassed West Newton for New Ulm as river traffic declined, ending the town's role as a commercial center. Grasshopper damage to crops in the 1870s deepened the decline, leaving farmers unable to buy goods or pay debts. By 1890 most customers had moved away and business had fallen to a trickle. After rural free delivery replaced the small post office in 1901, the store closed. In 1938, with much of its original stock still on the shelves, the Harkin Store reopened as a museum operated by the Harkins' granddaughter.